Citizen is one of the leading manufacturers of light-powered quartz watches. Its Eco-Drive system was revolutionary when it debuted in 1995 – for the first time, solar powered watches had been made in which the solar cells could be hidden behind the dial, and thus be virtually invisible. The advantages are obvious: a watch whose design aesthetics and legibility aren't compromised, that doesn't have a battery to go flat. One of the most practical uses of such a system is in tool watches, and with the introduction of the Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1,000M, Citizen's made a light-powered dive watch with the most extreme depth rating yet.

The Citizen Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1,000M Ref. BN7020-09.

Water pressure at 1,000 meters is extreme. The worst peacetime submarine disaster in U.S. naval history, the loss of the nuclear attack submarine Thresher, occurred at about 700 meters, when the submarine's pressure hull failed during an uncontrolled descent. The submarine's hull imploded in less than a tenth of a second.

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The Citizen Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1,000M is designed to tolerate even greater pressures. In addition, it's fitted with a locking system for the bezel, with a visual indication to show when the timing bezel is unlocked; in this circumstance, a strip of orange color shows that the bezel is free to move. There is a similar indication to show if the crown is unscrewed. The case is made from Citizen's "Super Titanium" alloy, hardened to provide better scratch resistance.

This isn't the first 1,000 meter rated dive watch from Citizen – the mechanical NH6931-06E 1,000 Meter Professional Diver Automatic Watch is an example of Citizen's expertise in making dive watches – but it is the first Eco-Drive diver's watch from Citizen to be able to tolerate such extremes of pressure.

Even from the side you can tell this is one serious watch.

Price at launch will be about $2,300 and you can expect to see them become available this summer.